PERFECT PROMOTION

Joshua 1:18
Anyone who rebels against your word
and does not obey your every command will
be put to death. So be strong and courageous!



After Moses' death, God appointed Joshua as the Israelites new leader giving him gave him the same authority given to Moses. This promotion was a reward for being a faithful right hand man to Moses. American journalist Flora Rheta Schreiber wrote that a young LtCol. Dwight D. Eisenhower believed that he didn’t expect to go much further in his career. Eisenhower was a regiment executive officer that had been a major for sixteen years before being promoted and he was deeply content with his life. The Army had provided him with a good life and he had friends who respected him. Eisenhower was quoted saying, “No man could ask for more.” His career contentment and faithful commitment to a job well-done carried him all the way to the White House as the 34th President of the United States many years later. Take courage and stay faithful to God being content with what you have and faithfully committed to doing a good job, and He will promote you in His perfect time.

FLAWED BUT PRECIOUS

Romans 5:15
And what a difference between our sin
and God's generous gift of forgiveness.
For this one man, Adam,
brought death to many through his sin.
But this other man, Jesus Christ,
brought forgiveness to many
through God's bountiful gift.



When Adam committed the original sin, sin was passed to all men thereon. The Bible says in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We're all sinners and we're all flawed, but we're still nevertheless precious in the sight of God and that’s why He came down from Heaven’s glory to die on the cross. His blood was shed for us so that we could be forever cleansed from all of our sins. Don’t ever think that you're "nobody" or "nothing". No one will argue that God is holy and that we are not. However, each one of us is so special to God that He was willing to leave His throne to save you from the sin enveloping your life. Make everyday a day where you do something precious with the priceless gift He’s given to you. You might be flawed, but God thinks you're precious.

HOSTAGE

1 Peter 1:18-19
For you know that God paid a ransom
to save you from the empty life you
inherited from your ancestors.
And the ransom he paid was
not mere gold or silver.
He paid for you with the
precious lifeblood of Christ,
the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.



The real problem with the world isn’t money, politics, or even the economy. The real problem facing the world is the sin that resides in the hearts of man. Because of this problem, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God had to be offered as ransom. Regarding ransoms, the Guinness Book of World Records posted that the greatest ransom ever paid was that for Atahualpa by the Incas to Francisco Pizarro in 1533 at Cajamarca, Peru. It was an entire hall full of gold and silver. While that’s a pretty impressive ransom, it just can’t be compared to what God did to pay your ransom. He gave His Son’s life as a ransom for all to be free and have salvation. John 8:36 says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” You’re neither a slave or hostage any longer. You’re free indeed.

LOOK THE OTHER WAY

Psalm 13:1
O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you look the other way?



Have you ever prayed and felt like the Lord just wasn’t listening or hearing you? Have you ever felt that the Lord might've abandoned you in your moment of need? Well, you’re definitely not alone. You might even consider yourself in good company because King David at certain points felt that very same way. Every time we sin and make mistakes, we suffer and get that feeling of abandonment. Feeling all alone is just a part of the consequence of sin. The cure for this is asking for God’s forgiveness. David needed to remind himself of this in Psalm 11:4, “The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them.” For Jesus, it sure felt like God was looking the other way when He was hanging on the cross carrying the past, present and future sins of the world. He even cried out in pain, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" God didn’t really forsake Jesus though, and Jesus certainly won’t forsake you. Just live a holy life, seek His forgiveness, flee from sin and know that when you're feeling all alone God isn't looking the other way.

GOOD COACHING

Proverbs 11:14
For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but many advisers make victory sure.



The assumption that Proverbs 11:14 makes is that the "advisers" are Godly and competent. An NFL football team has a lot of different coaches to help it's head coach guide the team. The players may play at their very best, but there are still things that a player can’t see as the action is quickly unfolding. With a Godly and competent coach watching and observing from outside the players’ field of vision, wise counsel can be given to assure the victory. In the journey through life competent coaches will be needed to help us succeed. A person enters into some of the most challenging life situations upon entering into a marriage. Don’t get yourself into a challenging situation like that without proper seeking counsel and guidance! Battles like these are ones that you don’t want to lose and you'll require coaching that you may not have realized you'll need. Even then, with the best coaches and advice available, you'll need to wise enough to heed. You'll need to be teachable.

WORD POWER

Proverbs 21:23
If you keep your mouth shut;
you will stay out of trouble.



I read this funny story about an elderly woman complaining to a person next to her about today's youth. “Look at that girl wearing boy’s jeans, a boy’s shirt, and that haircut is so boyish. You wouldn’t know she was a girl at all, would you?” The person replied, “I’d know because she’s my daughter.” The embarrassed woman said, “Oh dear, I’m so sorry – I didn’t know you were her father.” And with that the parent responded, “I’m not, I’m her mother.” Christians, be careful with your words. You should always try to choose words that can edify people and yourself. Paul said Ephesians 4:29, “Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” There's power in your words, so know when to use them and when to keep your mouth shut.

FULLY LOADED

Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,
do it with thy might.



Campbell Aird, a hotel owner in Scotland, has one of the most advanced artificial arms in the world. The Guinness of Book of World Records labeled him, “The Man With Bionic Arm.” Aird’s artificial limb is controlled by a motor and gears located in his upper arm. ABC News reported that, “Campbell does not get any ‘feedback’ from his arm to his brain. Our hands contain three main nerves, two major arteries and 27 different bones. Even simple movements involve the co-ordination of up to 60 different muscles. There are 2,500 nerve receptors in each square centimeter of the fingertips, so it is extremely difficult for an artificial hand to give its recipient anything like the sensation of touch.” Isn’t it amazing how God designed our arms and hands, and for that matter, our entire body! Man is a precision engineering masterpiece with all of the layers of systems working perfectly together. It’s for this reason that the wise King Solomon said, “Anything you do, do with all your might,” because God made you fully loaded for whatever challenges lay in front of you.

ALWAYS THERE

Psalm 9:10
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD,
have never abandoned anyone who searches for you.



A police car pulled up to the house of an elderly couple and old man got out. The officer explained to the elderly woman that he found her husband lost in the park. ''Why, Bill,” said the elderly woman, “you’ve been going there for over 30 years, how could you get lost?'' Leaning close to the old lady so the police officer couldn't hear, he whispered, ''Dear, I wasn't exactly lost. I was just too tired to walk home.'' You might be tired from all the wear and tear of life’s journey, but don’t worry – Jesus will never abandon you. He will always be there for you, ready and waiting to give you comfort and to take you home.

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS

Luke 5:5
"Master," Simon replied, "we worked hard
all last night and didn't catch a thing.
But if you say so, we'll try again."



There’s a story about Neil Marten, a member of the British Parliament, who was giving a tour of the House of Parliament to his constituents when his group happened upon Lord Chancellor Hailsham. The Lord Chancellor recognized Marten among the group and cried, "Neil!" Upon seeing Hailsham, the entire set of visiting constituents took to their knees before the Lord Chancellor. In the Bible, Simon was with Jesus when He told the Apostles to drop their nets again. Simon was an experienced fisherman that knew that of no fish at the location Jesus had indicated. Nevertheless, the Disciples obeyed the odd instructions and harvested beyond what they would even be able to carry home. Sometimes we just can’t understand why God gives us instructions when they make no sense to us. The tough lesson here is that even when the instructions seem odd, out of place or nonsensical, if they’re coming from God – follow them. You just might have a miraculous catch that day.

TWO EARS TO LISTEN

Hebrews 12:25
See to it that you obey God,
the one who is speaking to you.
For if the people of Israel did not escape
when they refused to listen to Moses,
the earthly messenger,
how terrible our danger if we reject
the One who speaks to us from heaven!



Adolph Herseth, a trumpeter for the Chicago Symphony for nearly fifty years said, “Playing the trumpet has less to do with the mouth than the ear. You have to start with a very precise sense of how something should sound. Then, instinctively, you modify your lip and your breathing and the pressure of the horn to obtain the sound.” Likewise, the Bible says those that have ears let them hear. So listen to what the Word of God is telling you. We have two ears, two eyes and just one mouth. It stands to reason that if we talked less, we’d be able to watch more carefully for what God is doing in our lives and that we’d be able to listen and hear clearly what God is trying to tell us.

UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATIONS

Philippians 2:3
Don't be selfish;
don't live to make a good impression on others.
Be humble,
thinking of others as better than yourself.



Alexander de Seversky was an American aviator and engineer that lost his leg and wore a wooden replacement for the remainder of his days. There's a story about Seversky visiting another pilot that had recently lost his leg, as well. Seversky tried to cheer up the injured pilot by offering, "The loss of a leg is not so great a calamity. If you get hit on a wooden leg, it doesn't hurt a bit! Try it!" And Seversky pointed at his wooden leg for the patient to hit as hard as he could. The injured pilot raised his walking stick and brought it down twice like a hammer on Seversky's leg. The inventor then cheerfully added, "You see, if you hit an ordinary man like that, he'd be in bed for five days!" With that, Seversky left the now encouraged young pilot and limped into the corridor where he collapsed in excruciating pain. Apparently, Seversky was struck twice on his good leg not the wooden leg... but he couldn't bear to see the young pilot lose any more heart. In uncomfortable and challenging situations, mature people like Seversky take on a very Christ-like approach as they think of others instead of themselves. In your own Christian walk, consider others before considering yourself. You’ll find that the rewards for finding comfort in uncomfortable situations are more than worthy of your efforts.

ENDLESS WEALTH

Proverbs 11:18
Evil people get rich for the moment,
but the reward of the godly will last.



I read a funny story about a very successful businessman that was meeting with his new son-in-law. He told his daughter's husband, “I welcome you into the family, and to show you how much we care for you, I'm making you a 50-50 partner in my business. All you have to do is go to the factory everyday and learn our operations.” The son-in-law replied, “I hate factories. I can’t stand the noise.” With that the businessman told him, “That's okay, just work in the office and take charge of some of the operations.” To which the younger man responded, “I hate office work. I can’t stand being stuck behind a desk.” Now confused, the business owner said, “I just made you half owner of a money-making industrial company, but you don’t like factories, and you won’t work in an office. What am I going to do with you?” His snarky son-in-law responded, “Well that's easy, just buy out my half of the company.” People have a tendency to try and take short cuts to success. We read and hear about "get rich quick" businesses a whole lot these days. Well, there really is no such way to become wealthy quickly. Ultimately, the key to gaining wealth (not necessarily riches!) is by making God your partner. Only then will it be possible for blessed riches to appear and for those rewards to last.

TALK LESS, LISTEN MORE

Proverbs 10:19
Don't talk too much, for it fosters sin.
Be sensible and turn off the flow!



According to the Lord Jesus, the things that emerge from behind man's lips have the potential to be destructive. Matthew 15:18 teaches us, “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.’” King Solomon was absolutely right on target when he wrote Proverbs 10:19! It reminds me of a story about a doctor making a house call to a sickly old man. The old man’s wife said, “Doctor, I hate to ask you to come so far, but my husband is very sick.” The doctor said, “Oh, that’s quite all right, I have another patient in the neighborhood. So I’ll just come out and kill two birds with one stone.” Hmm. Seems the good doctor might need some sensitivity training classes. James 3:5 teaches us, “So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do.” Indeed. Talk less, listen more.

LIKE JESUS

Hebrews 4:14-15
That is why we have a great High Priest
who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God.
Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him.
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses,
for he faced all of the same temptations we do,
yet he did not sin.



Every single day of our lives we are tempted by something, and if one isn't equipped with how to deal with those temptations, it's highly likely that sin will be on the rise in that person's life. It's really important to point out that people don’t sin when they're tempted. They sin when they yield to temptation. It reminds me of a story about a man and his wife that were shopping together when a very shapely young woman in a short, form-fitting dress strolled by. The husband’s eyes very easily followed the young lady. As he returned to his senses, his wife simply asked, "Was it worth the trouble that you're in now?" You might be surprised to hear that this situation is not a rarity. Look at it this way, guilt and sin just aren’t worth the troubles and consequences. It really makes sense to follow Jesus' example. Christ was tempted by the devil himself, but through it all He never gave in to the fleshly desires of power or lust. It's definitely tough, but it's definitely possible.

EMPTY LIFE

1 Peter 1:18-19
For you know that God paid a ransom to save you
from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors.
And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver.
He paid for you with the precious lifeblood
of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.



Jesus knows what can make our life full. Christ said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” He gave His life to rescue all of us from having an empty existence. Make Him a part of your life today and you'll be guaranteed a fulfilling and everlasting life.

MODERN DAY SLAVERY

Titus 2:9-10
Slaves must obey their masters
and do their best to please them.
They must not talk back or steal,
but they must show themselves
to be entirely trustworthy and good.
Then they will make the teaching about
God our Savior attractive in every way.



If you stop and think about it, we labor away on things nearly every single day. We are like just like slaves, except our goal is to try and make ends meet. Sooner or later, however, we come to realize that the reason we exist as Christians is to fulfill our purpose given to us by God. We’re not just here to work for our survival, livelihood or to make ends meet – we’re alive so that we can testify about the good news of God’s salvation. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33-34, “And he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.” Try your best to please God in your work place or school and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the blessings He is going to bestow upon your life.

ENCOURAGE YOURSELF

Psalm 42:5
Why am I discouraged? Why so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again —
my Savior and my God!



I read a story about an elderly widow eager to serve Christ, but because of her age she was restricted from activities. She prayed and realized that she could bring a blessing to others by playing the piano. She advertised, "Pianist will play hymns by phone for those who are sick and downhearted – the service is free." When people called, she’d ask, "What hymn would you like to hear?" Within a few months, her free service had brought cheer and encouragement to several hundred people. Sounds too silly to be true, but it's true! Praise the Lord for those gifts you have and use those very gifts, no matter how small, to serve the Lord. You'll be encouraged along with the others impacted by your service.

SWEET PERFUME

Ephesians 5:2
Live a life filled with love for others,
following the example of Christ,
who loved you and gave himself as
a sacrifice to take away your sins.
And God was pleased,
because that sacrifice was
like sweet perfume to him.



The Order of the Mustard Seed, founded by Count Zinzendorf, has three guiding principles: 1. be kind to all people; 2. seek their welfare; and 3. win them to Christ. This had been the main advocacy of Count Zinzendorf, who was a member of the Austrian nobility. He began to love the Lord at age six. It was said that Zinzendorf had a close relationship with the Lord and that he lived day after day in living communion with Christ. He fellowshiped with Christ day after day as one would with a close friend until passing away. He had given his entire life and possessions to the work of Jesus Christ. Zinzendorf's life fulfilled the standards set by Ephesians 5:2 of a pleasing life before God. In that, we can easily surmise that the Count's life deserves the comparison of a sweet perfume to God the Father. Set a goal for yourself to have your life be like a sweet perfume to the Lord.

RELIGION VS. CHRISTIANITY

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is only one God and
one Mediator who can reconcile God and people.
He is the man Christ Jesus.



With all the different religions that the world offers, it's no wonder that people often find themselves confused about what to believe. Every religion claims that they are the right one, but the Bible teaches us in 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” Since the beginning, there has been only one God. That sole God came to the world, becoming a man to save men from sin and to reconcile man with Him. It was God who had to reach down to man for man to be lifted up and saved. "Religion" is man’s feeble effort to try and reach up to God – which explains why religions differ on how to obtain God’s approval, with a common denominator of performing good works to get into heaven. Truth be told, good works alone cannot get you into heaven. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9 that, “God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” It is only through the God the Son that we have a mediator to God the Father. Only through His supernatural help are we able to have a way to heaven. There are no other options.

THE IMAGE OF GOD

Genesis 1:27
So God created people in his own image;
God patterned them after himself;
male and female he created them.



One late night (or should I say very early morning) after writing devotionals, I went to bed with the television on. While I was falling asleep, there was a reality show that featured a wedding between two teenage girls, with both sets of parents giving their full consent to the marriage. I thought to myself about how family values are being shattered before our very eyes. This is what the Apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 1:26-28, “That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved. When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done.” The penalty for the rejection of God's values is really steep. Don't leave God out of your life, but rather have God at the center of your life so that you might truly be in the likeness of the Creator.

NOT GUILTY

John 19:6
When they saw him, the leading priests
and Temple guards began shouting,
"Crucify! Crucify!" "You crucify him,"
Pilate said. "I find him not guilty."



Jesus was crucified even though He was never found guilty of any of the crimes that He was accused of. The hordes shouted for a verdict led by the Jewish leaders that wanted Jesus dead because they wouldn’t accept that He was the Son of God. The Apostle Paul was at one point in his life the main killer and prosecutor of early church Christians, but upon personally encountering Jesus while traveling to Damascus, he became a key preacher of the Gospel thereafter. Paul wrote in Romans 9:1-5, “In the presence of Christ, I speak with utter truthfulness – I do not lie and my conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm that what I am saying is true. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed – cut off from Christ! – if that would save them… He made covenants with them and gave his law to them. They have the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. Their ancestors were great people of God, and Christ himself was a Jew as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.” Don't be like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, but rather be open and accepting of the gift of truth. Open your minds to His possibilities!

MIGHTY LORD

Psalm 93:3-4
The mighty oceans have roared, O LORD.
The mighty oceans roar like thunder;
the mighty oceans roar as they pound the shore.
But mightier than the violent raging of the seas,
mightier than the breakers on the shore —
the LORD above is mightier than these!



King Frederick the Great was making folly of the Lord Jesus at a dinner and he had everyone laughing when suddenly the great General Von Zealand stood up and said, “Sire, you know I have not feared death. I have fought and won 38 battles for you. I am an old man; I shall soon have to go into the presence of One Greater than thou, the mighty God who saved me from my sin, the Lord Jesus Christ whom you are blaspheming against.” With a trembling and apologetic voice, King Frederick said, “General, I beg your pardon. I beg your pardon! I beg your pardon!” Our Lord Jesus is God and He is mighty. A full respect and reverence towards Him is required. Know it and practice it.

YOUR HEART'S STRENGTH

Psalm 73:25-26
Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
He is mine forever.



Depression will attack you when you're burdened with problems and you feel like you’re all alone. It can be enslaving and people in this kind of situation will sometimes go to great measures to find escape. It could be drugs, alcohol or even shopping, but the sad reality is that those solutions don't make the real problem go away. Asaph, the author of Psalm 73, admits his burden and dipping emotional state in verse 2 when he wrote, “But as for me, I came so close to the edge of the cliff! My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.” We later find that Asaph was reassured of God's security and refuge. The more that we desire God, the stronger we become in times of trials and problems because He becomes the center strength of your heart. Put God in your core and when your down days arrive you'll find yourself content in His peace rather than depressed in your emotions.

YOUR INHERITANCE

Numbers 18:20
And the LORD said to Aaron,
"You priests will receive no inheritance of land
or share of property among the people of Israel.
I am your inheritance and your share."



According to 1 Peter 2:9, Christians are peculiar because they, "Are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." This means that as priests of God we become an heir not only to blessings here on earth, but of the possessions God owns in heaven. Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3:24, "I say to myself, The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" David said Psalm 16:5, "Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine." Our riches are untouchable because God's economy is not affected by the economic crisis and meltdowns of this world. Rejoice in knowing that He is our inheritance!

TAKE JOY

Psalm 40:8
I take joy in doing your will, my God,
for your law is written on my heart.



David ran from the pursuits of King Saul for nearly twenty years. On several occasions, he had opportunities to kill Saul, but David understood the principle not harming God’s anointed leader. Regardless of Saul's wrong doings, David understood that blessings comes from the Lord, as well as vengeance. The joy of doing God’s will isn’t based upon the good things happening in one's life, but rather upon following the instructions of the Word of God. David said, “Your law is written in my heart,” and in Psalm 119:11 he said, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Doing the will of God leaves the sin out of our lives and brings the joy into our lives. It's definitely worth doing.

THE RIGHT STUFF

Matthew 3:15
But Jesus said, "It must be done,
because we must do everything that is right."
So then John baptized him.



The Bible goes silent about Jesus’ life after the incident where Joseph and Mary found the young Jesus teaching in the temple. Jesus told them in Luke 2:49, "You should have known that I would be in my Father's house." The last words about the young Savior are found in Luke 2:52, "So Jesus grew both in height and in wisdom, and he was loved by God and by all who knew him." The examples that Jesus set even from the time He was a young boy were all about doing what’s right. He never made excuses and He didn’t use his authority to exempt himself from the processes of earthly life. In a modern context, these principles came alive when General Montgomery began his command in North Africa to rescue the allied forces, he said, "My commands are to be carried out; Orders no longer form the basis for discussion, but for action." As history would tell, Montgomery delivered victories in battle after battle. Likewise, when we do what’s right and obey God’s exact instructions as found in His Word, our victory is certain and our battles won.